Leaders of the EU and the League of Arab States meeting for the first ever summit between the two regions agreed Tuesday to strengthen cooperation particularly on border control and the fight against irregular migration.

The maximum aid Member States can give to their farmers without need for prior EU approval will rise from EUR 15,000 to EUR 25,000, the Commission announced Friday, to allow greater flexibility, especially in times of crisis.

EU states confirmed a plan to modernise the EU's common visa policy Wednesday, adapting the rules to growing security concerns, the challenges of migration and new opportunities offered by technological developments.

Saudi Arabia has been added to the EU's list of 23 third countries with strategic deficiencies in their anti-money laundering and counter-terrorist financing frameworks, revealed Wednesday by the Commission.

The EU struck a provisional deal Thursday on a proposal for more transparent working conditions, with minimum rights for workers with on-demand, voucher-based or platform jobs such as Uber or Deliveroo.

Trade tensions and the possibility of a disruptive Brexit are likely to contribute to a slowdown in Europe's economy in 2019, the European Commission said in its Winter Economic Forecast, outlined Thursday.

The EU Commission put a halt to Siemens' proposed acquisition of Alstom Wednesday, saying remedies to concerns that it would harm competition in markets for railway signalling systems and high-speed trains were insufficient.

50 days before Britain is due to leave the EU Council president Donald Tusk said many British and Irish people who wished for a reversal of Brexit lacked effective leadership and the political force to remain.

The EU Parliament and states reached political agreement Tuesday on rules applying to non-financial counterparties, small financial counterparties and pension funds using financial derivative products.